Not Enough Tequila
by Buridanical State
Summary: Morgan rushes in to save Reid, but does he really need to be rescued this time? Rated M for some adult themes and language.


**A/N: This was just a fleeting thought with a few lines written out for the longest time. It was written for a May 2012 prompt: **_**One or more members of the team find out a shocking secret about your main character**_**. Thank you Criminal Minds Weekly Prompts Forum for giving me the spark I needed to turn a half-formed idea into something. What that something actually **_**is**_**, I guess I'll see from the response. Please read and review, and I hope you enjoy.**

Derek Morgan was dumbfounded. There was no other word for it. He'd considered 'surprised', 'bewildered', and somewhat 'disturbed', but those words just didn't quite capture what he was feeling right now.

"Excuse me for a moment," he managed to get out once his brain and mouth were able to work in sync. Slipping away from the dance floor and the guaranteed hookup that he'd been working a good thirty minutes to secure, he made his way to a darkened corner to get a better view without being noticed.

"I don't believe this," he said quietly to himself. He hadn't had that much to drink. Maybe someone had slipped him something. That would explain why he was staring at what was most assuredly a hallucination of Dr. Spencer Reid, oblivious to the surrounding stares as he all but _grinded_ between the bodies of two other men.

Oddly enough, it was the fact that Reid was anywhere near a dance floor that struck him first. After that, it was the fact that he had traded in his sweater vest and corduroys for a formfitting black tee and dark wash denims that hung ridiculously low on his hips. Last, but certainly not least, he observed Reid's dance partners. The two hard bodies pressed in on either side of him, and Morgan saw the hungry looks that both gave Reid and the challenging glares that were occasionally shot at each other.

Oblivious to either look, the slim figure turned between them, his back now against the man he had been facing, who took this as an open invitation to practically dry hump the genius. The man he was currently facing gave a predatory smile as his hands settled on the narrow hips and jerked them forward. The move was sudden and aggressive, and Morgan had seen enough.

He had no problem with his friend being gay- he really didn't. At least, he assumed that Reid was gay. He'd certainly never seen him interact with a _woman_ like that. So, yeah- it stung a little not to be trusted with that information. They told each other almost everything, and Reid should know by now that Derek would never judge him for something as trivial as his sexual orientation.

And he would make damn sure that Reid was clear on that point, right after he drags him outside for a stern lecture on the importance of club safety. Derek's fists clenched as he moved closer to the trio, and he resisted the urge to shout at the two human octopi to get their fucking tentacles off of his best friend. It would be a silly thing to shout. They would probably laugh, and he would be forced to beat them half to death.

He was about ten feet from pulling Reid away like a recalcitrant child when someone beat him to the punch- almost literally. Judging by the way the man's body tensed as he stared down Reid's dance partners, it wouldn't have taken much to goad him into taking a swing. His hand closed in a tight grip around Reid's upper arm, and only the awkward half-smile that his friend sent toward the stony-faced man stopped Morgan from tackling him right then and there. It was obvious that Reid knew him.

A few terse words were directed at one of the two men, and though Morgan couldn't hear what was said, he gathered that it was some sort of threat. This was confirmed when he raised his hands in the universal sign of 'I'm just gonna back the hell off'. 'Smart man,' Morgan thought. He doubted if both of the men together could have taken Reid's friend.

The second man wasn't quite as smart. He lingered for a moment after the first had backed off. A cocky grin spread over his face as his eyes raked over Reid's form then settled back on the larger man. His eyes glinted, and his smirk widened. He said something that looked suspiciously like "threesome", and the larger man lunged. Reid was between them instantly, both palms against the muscled chest, speaking rapidly with a pleading look on his face. The man continued to glare at the now retreating second dance partner before pushing Reid's hands away, reestablishing the grasp on his upper arm, and nearly dragging the young man from the dance floor.

It was never really a question. There was no way that Morgan wouldn't follow them. He followed them at a safe distance, right out of the building, and watched as they turned the corner into a nearby alley. Frowning a bit at this odd turn of events, he crept along the building and stopped right at the corner with his back against the wall. If the man had brought Reid here for a moment of privacy, he definitely could have chosen a better location. There was no one walking or driving by at the moment, but the acoustics in the little brick alley amplified every sound. It was perfect for eavesdropping.

"...think you were doing?"

"I don't understand." To his credit, Reid sounded genuinely confused. "We were only dancing. You said that you wouldn't mind if I danced with someone else."

The man laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. "Are you really gonna pull the innocent act on me now, Spencer? I gave you permission to _dance_; I didn't give you permission to behave like a whore, now did I?"

"…"

"DID I?"

Morgan flinched at the sudden rise in volume and venom in the man's voice. If he had reacted that badly, then Reid must have been terrified.

"No." The word was nearly a whisper.

"No, what?" the man ground out.

"You didn't give me permission to…" Reid hesitated, his voice becoming even quieter towards the end. "…to behave like a whore."

Morgan's fists were clenched so tight that it was almost painful. Who the hell was this guy to speak to Reid like that? And Reid- he just _took it_. There was absolutely no fight in him. Didn't he know that he didn't have to put up with this? That he deserved better? Morgan didn't know how long this guy had had his hooks in Reid, but if his friend wanted out of this relationship, he would make sure that it happened. And if the kid _didn't_ want out… Well, let's just say that he could be pretty damn persuasive when he wanted to be. One of Desiree's ex-boyfriends found that out the hard way.

"I'm sorry." The words were so broken, so full of shame that Morgan could barely stand to hear them. He was well acquainted with guilt and shame. He knew what it felt like to have someone wrap those two emotions round and round until you feel like there's no possible way to break free.

"You're sorry?" The man huffed out a laugh. "Then I guess I should forgive you. Is that what you want, Spencer? Would you like me to forgive you?" The sick son of a bitch actually sounded amused.

"Please." The desperation behind that single word turned Morgan's stomach.

"You want forgiveness? Earn it."

There was an odd rustling, and Morgan tried not to imagine what the sound could mean.

"Wh- What are you doing?"

"If you want to act like a whore, I'll treat you like one. Get down on your knees and give me a proper apology."

_What the __**fuck**__? Hell no._

Without another thought, he turned the corner into the alley. There wasn't much light. The only illumination came from a single fixture over what must have been a back exit for the business next door. The two men were partially hidden from sight by a large dumpster that had thankfully been emptied fairly recently.

"I… I can't. Not here, plea- Ow!"

At the exclamation of pain, Morgan moved to the other side of the dumpster and froze at the sight. Reid's back was pressed against the cold brick wall, his head pulled to an awkward angle by a handful of his hair clutched in a painful grasp. His eyes were screwed shut. One hand hovered near his own head as though he were considering attempting to loosen the other man's grip but didn't quite dare. A small whimper escaped his lips, and his other hand moved to brace against the man's chest. It rested there lamely, not pushing or shoving- just there.

"Listen, you little slut. You'll do whatever the fuck I…"

But he never finished the threat. As Morgan's vision began to go black around the edges, he realized that he was close to either being violently ill or killing this man. He'd made a noise that was something akin to a growl, and the man turned. Startled blue eyes widened at the sight of the man who'd snuck up on them, and he turned even further, his larger frame blocking Reid from view.

"I don't carry a lot of cash, man; but you can have whatever I've got." The man's hands were in a cautious, semi-raised position. "_Shit!_" he exclaimed quietly as he lowered his hands once more to fumble his erection back into his pants.

Morgan just stared at him, his brain shutting down at this confirmation of what he'd feared.

_He was about to… This bastard almost… _

"What's going on?" Reid asked hesitantly, trying to step around the man for a better look.

"Stay behind me, baby," the man answered, but Morgan didn't hear that. Morgan didn't hear much of _anything_ besides the heavy thud of his own heartbeat and the rush of blood roaring in his ears. Oh, but he did see the little action that went along with whatever the man had just said. He had pushed Reid back. He had… _pushed… __**Reid**._

The next thing Morgan heard, as the roar in his ears began to subside, was Reid's voice, confused and panicked. He was saying a name over and over- Alex- and pleading for Morgan to stop. The haze cleared, and Morgan saw the blood-darkened face of who he assumed was 'Alex' right in front of him. The man was clawing desperately at the hands wrapped around his throat. His feet barely touched the ground, and with the way that Morgan had positioned his own body, attempting a well-placed kick was futile.

Then Morgan could feel Reid's hands tugging uselessly at his arms.

"Let him go, Morgan. You're killing him!"

Sure enough, the man's face was now a shade close to maroon, and his struggles were growing weaker. Morgan released him and watched him slump to the ground, coughing and gulping greedily at the air. Reid was at his side in a heartbeat.

Morgan watched his friend fuss over the man for several minutes until Reid was sure that he would be alright. And then, with an anger that most would never expect from the timid-looking young man, Reid got to his feet and whirled on Morgan.

"Have you completely lost your mind? You- You _assaulted_ someone! What the hell were you thinking?"

A few seconds passed where Morgan could do nothing more than stare dumbly at the irate man. He would _definitely_ need to find a better word than 'dumbfounded'.

"Reid…" he started uncertainly; then with more conviction, "I watched this man drag you out of the building and into an alley. He had you pinned against a fucking wall."

"He's my boyfriend!" Reid snapped.

"I don't give a damn who he is. He doesn't have the right to put his hands on you!"

Reid opened his mouth to retort but just stood there, mouth agape. Something was off here.

"He was hurting you. You were begging him to stop, and he was going to- He was…" Morgan trailed off, his eyes a bit unfocused. And suddenly, it all clicked.

"Derek," Reid breathed. What was he supposed to say to that? "Listen. It's not what it looks like, alright?" He saw the anger returning to his friend's face and quickly added, "And no- I'm not covering for anyone. This is… _really_ not what it looks like."

"So, explain it to me."

Reid looked away, nervously running a hand through his hair. "Can we just talk about this later?"

"If you think I'm letting you leave here with that man-"

A sudden laugh caused Morgan to fall silent. Alex was sitting on the dirty concrete with his back against the wall. "You weren't kidding when you said they were overprotective. Spence, just tell him so that we can get the hell out of here."

Reid frowned at the rasp in his boyfriend's voice. At least he was laughing. Laughing meant that he probably wouldn't press charges. Hopefully. He groaned. "I knew this was a bad idea." He took a deep breath. "Whatever you saw and or heard- and please don't feel obligated to tell me what all that includes- was an act."

Morgan looked from Reid's mortified face to the stranger's amused smirk. "Are you telling me that this was some kind of…" He didn't think he could say the words in front of Reid- at least, not without a stack of crime scene photos between them.

"Role-play. Yes," Reid finished bravely.

Maybe 'disturbed' was a more accurate term than Morgan originally thought. He shook his head to clear a few particularly disturbing images only to make room for more. "You _planned_ this?"

"Yes. Rather meticulously, or so I thought."

"I think that we forgot to factor in Murphy's Law."

"Alex, you know that's not a legitimate scienti-"

"Spence."

"Yeah?"

"I know."

"Sorry. Force of habit."

"And I love you for it. Now, help me up, would you?"

"Wait a minute." Morgan's determined voice was directed at their retreating backs a few minutes later as they all exited the dark alley. "What about the two guys- the freaks in the club? Reid, I know you didn't just let two complete strangers dance up on you like that. You can barely tolerate handshakes."

"They're not strangers. They're friends of ours whose jealousy role-play probably had a much happier ending than ours."

Morgan wasn't done gaping when Alex chimed in, "I can get you their number if you'd like. They do enjoy a little variety now and then." On hearing the faltering of Morgan's footsteps, the two laughed.

He caught up with the couple on the curb across from the parking area. "I'll pass, thanks." Alex shrugged good-naturedly. "Listen man, I just wanna apologize for… you know," Morgan fumbled uncharacteristically.

"Trying to kill me?"

"Yeah. That."

Hearing the embarrassed tone, Alex laughed again. "Don't worry about it. I get why you did it; and to be honest, I feel a lot better about Spencer going away on cases now. As much as it pains me-" he touched the nearly purple bruises forming on his neck, "_literally_ pains me to say this: you're a good man. If anyone else ever approaches Spencer like that, you have my vote to strangle first and ask questions later."

"Alex!" Reid's appalled voice sounded.

"Besides, I don't even want to know how long I'd be in the doghouse for getting his best friend arrested."

Reid rolled his eyes and took Alex by the arm in a move similar to the one the other had used back in the club. "Who says you're off the hook? I told you that we should have done this on a Thursday. Statistically speaking…"

Morgan watched them cross the street, shaking his head at the constant buzz of Reid's lecture. He turned back toward the club's entrance, his first thought to go directly up to the bar and order one shot for every fact that he'd learned tonight that he desperately wished to unlearn. He went over the most glaring ones in his head: Fact number one: Reid had a sex life. Fact number two: Reid had a boyfriend, and judging by their interactions, they had been together for some time. Fact number three: His own demons were much closer to the surface than he could have ever imagined.

With one last considering look at club's front doors, he shook his head and headed off toward the parking lot. Who was he kidding? There wasn't enough Tequila in the world.


End file.
